[opensuse] If Windows is a dead end, what's next?
If Windows 7 is more of the same, then maybe it's time to conclude that Windows is a technology dead end. Last spring, Gartner warned that Microsoft had to radically change Windows or watch it fade into irrelevancy. Windows 7 is not that radical change. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/11/04/45FE-windows-7-dead-end_1.html?source=NLC-DAILY&cgd=2008-11-04 -- "Politicians and diapers need to be changed regularly -- and for the same reason." -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Wednesday 05 November 2008, Fred A. Miller wrote:
If Windows 7 is more of the same, then maybe it's time to conclude that Windows is a technology dead end. Last spring, Gartner warned that Microsoft had to radically change Windows or watch it fade into irrelevancy. Windows 7 is not that radical change.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/11/04/45FE-windows-7-dead-end_1.html?so urce=NLC-DAILY&cgd=2008-11-04
While the article is an interesting read, I would hesitate to write off Windows just yet. Personally I felt that Microsoft had taken a wrong turn with the release of Windows XP. For me, there was no compelling reason to upgrade from Windows 2000 to XP. Furthermore, I was suddenly treated like a criminal, with having to activate something which I legally obtained, Windows Genuine Disadvantage, DRM, etc. Add to that the kindergarten-like interface (yes, I know how to change it), I ditched Windows shortly after the release of XP SP2. (Though I still have to support it at work). I was spending more time keeping my computers safe and running than actually doing work with my computers. Right now, I see no compelling reason for people to switch from XP to Vista. If Wndows is more of the same, I doubt there will be compelling reasons for me to consider using 7. However, Windows is (unfortunately) everywhere. Many businesses depend on it. Switching to something else is difficult for them, if only because management doesn't know an alternative. I don't doubt for a second that you could run your entire company on Linux/OSS. But try to convince a manager of that and they won't know how to handle it. It's free to use and it's better? Impossible! If it was that great, everybody would use it. Try to argue with that... It's just too much of a paradigm shift for them. Windows has been declared dead before. Should I now follow the tangent that uses Windows' supposed death as an explanation for all the bugs? Nah, too easy. I'm just not holding my breath. Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to see Windows fade to irrelevance. However, I just don't see that happening yet. Pessismist? Well, pessimists are just well-informed optimists, or so I'm told. Just my opinion, of course! Joop
On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 11:22 PM, Joop Beris
Right now, I see no compelling reason for people to switch from XP to Vista. If Wndows is more of the same, I doubt there will be compelling reasons for me to consider using 7.
Compulsion comes in the form of un-availability. Far more versions of windows have been killed off by microsoft than are currently available to buy.
However, Windows is (unfortunately) everywhere. Many businesses depend on it. Switching to something else is difficult for them, if only because management doesn't know an alternative.
Or because of the huge number of applications that are available on windows, many custom written, that are not easily moved to linux. I'm not talking about spread sheets and word processors but rather medical billing, machine control, and custom written stuff. Every big company has them. Linux should find a way to go after that market. Not with the clunky virtulization systems of today but something that just runs windows dlls. Wine had a good start at this but lost their way, becoming more complex and less reliable than windows itself. -- ----------JSA--------- Someone stole my tag line, so now I have this rental. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Joop Beris wrote:
On Wednesday 05 November 2008, Fred A. Miller wrote:
If Windows 7 is more of the same, then maybe it's time to conclude that Windows is a technology dead end. Last spring, Gartner warned that Microsoft had to radically change Windows or watch it fade into irrelevancy. Windows 7 is not that radical change.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/11/04/45FE-windows-7-dead-end_1.html?so urce=NLC-DAILY&cgd=2008-11-04
While the article is an interesting read, I would hesitate to write off Windows just yet. Personally I felt that Microsoft had taken a wrong turn with the release of Windows XP. For me, there was no compelling reason to upgrade from Windows 2000 to XP. Furthermore, I was suddenly treated like a criminal, with having to activate something which I legally obtained, Windows Genuine Disadvantage, DRM, etc. Add to that the kindergarten-like interface (yes, I know how to change it), I ditched Windows shortly after the release of XP SP2. (Though I still have to support it at work). I was spending more time keeping my computers safe and running than actually doing work with my computers.
'Common problem.
Right now, I see no compelling reason for people to switch from XP to Vista. If Wndows is more of the same, I doubt there will be compelling reasons for me to consider using 7.
I think the proper description for "7" will be a more "polished" 'Bloze.
However, Windows is (unfortunately) everywhere. Many businesses depend on it.
Ignorance, and it has run amok for a very long time.
Switching to something else is difficult for them, if only because management doesn't know an alternative. I don't doubt for a second that you could run your entire company on Linux/OSS. But try to convince a manager of that and they won't know how to handle it. It's free to use and it's better?
All true, but as long as bean counters control IT in most businesses, the status quo will be the primary consideration. I do think that there's a reasonable chance that will change, however, in the near future, at least here in the US because ALL businesses are now going to suffer increases in taxes that they've never had before. I see Linux rising in the enterprise like never before.
Impossible! If it was that great, everybody would use it. Try to argue with that... It's just too much of a paradigm shift for them.
Windows has been declared dead before. Should I now follow the tangent that uses Windows' supposed death as an explanation for all the bugs? Nah, too easy.
Hehehehehe....but true none the less.
I'm just not holding my breath. Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to see Windows fade to irrelevance. However, I just don't see that happening yet.
Pessismist? Well, pessimists are just well-informed optimists, or so I'm told.
Just my opinion, of course!
Yep....we all have them. As much as I hate a commie being Pres. of the US, I think his policies will help Linux simply because business as well as users won't be able to afford to use anything else. Fred -- "Politicians and diapers need to be changed regularly -- and for the same reason." -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Tuesday 04 November 2008 07:14:57 pm Fred A. Miller wrote:
If Windows 7 is more of the same, then maybe it's time to conclude that Windows is a technology dead end.
Singularity - http://research.microsoft.com/os/Singularity/ I have it running in Virtual PC. http://www.perfectreign.com/?q=node/92 Seriously, I hear more and more about where the market is going. Oddly enough, it is going towards big iron - in a way. I was talking to our CIO last night (election night - we were at work until 3:00am) and discussing their strategies. They are running Win 2008 servers fully supported (thanks to the MS/Novell deal) on Xen inside SLES instances running on a zOS mainframe. In one example, there's a web page - hosted by websphere running on SLE 10 on one instance of the mainframe, accessing data hosted by a MSSQL 2008 server running inside a Xen machine under the same SLES machine and accessing data on IMS and DB2 databases on other machines. How's that for interoperability? -- kai www.filesite.org || www.perfectreign.com Clean out a corner of your mind and creativity will instantly fill it. - Dee Hock -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Fred A. Miller wrote:
If Windows 7 is more of the same, then maybe it's time to conclude that Windows is a technology dead end. Last spring, Gartner warned that Microsoft had to radically change Windows or watch it fade into irrelevancy. Windows 7 is not that radical change.
If Windows was where the future or excitement was in computing, I guess then we would all be subscribed to windows@microsoft.com instead of opensuse@opensuse.org ;-) -- David C. Rankin, J.D., P.E. Rankin Law Firm, PLLC 510 Ochiltree Street Nacogdoches, Texas 75961 Telephone: (936) 715-9333 Facsimile: (936) 715-9339 www.rankinlawfirm.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (5)
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David C. Rankin -
Fred A. Miller -
John Andersen -
Joop Beris -
Kai Ponte